If you have been contemplating how you can bring the excitement of space exploration into your classroom, I would recommend that you review the article Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) -- The First Educational Outreach Program on ISS.

This paper provides an excellent historical perspective of what NASA and the amateur radio community have accomplished to date to make space exploration a real, hands-on learning experience for students. Founded on this historical perspective, the paper outlines what can be done now and what will be done in the future to allow the interested teacher to immerse their students in all the excitement of space exploration...up close and personal.

If you're looking for some motivation, if you are looking for some hard facts to support your ideas with the school administration, or if you are just looking for some interesting background, you need to check it out.